Chinwag's Guide to being a Fantastic Guest Blogger

Hello and welcome into the world of guest blogging for Chinwag.com! Before you get stuck in we’d like to run through some hints, tips and guidelines.

Posting on Chinwag is a great way to share ideas, thoughts, research and more with like-minded folk. Our community is important to us, they're a pretty influential bunch who appreciate great content.

We believe that networking with our blog readers and building a positive brand image is much more important than links (and keywords within links).

But, before polishing your purple prose, please take a couple of mins to skim through the guidelines.

Topics/Content

Blogging Station

We don't dictate, but for the most part our community prefers 300 - 500 word exclusive stories including - but not restricted to the following subjects:

  • UK Tech Scene: current issues, top startups, new services / apps
  • Foreign Tech Scenes: (US, Europe, the East etc), hints & tips on how to set up abroad, differences between business here & there, legal issues, market insights, incubator spaces...
  • Digital in Creative Industries: fashion, music, art, culture, top startups, market insights...
  • Online Psychology: research, infographics, top tips / pointers
  • Digital Recruitment: hints & tips, improving CV's / social profiles, finding jobs, career development within the industry...

Aim for originality, even when covering established subjects - adding your own expertise may provide a fresh perspective on old stories.

We prefer blogs that show the arguments and cite the facts that led to the writer's conclusion, drawing from all sides of the argument so the reader can decide for themselves.

Exclusives

We do love an exclusive, doesn't everyone? Do you have any juicy news, interviews, research, reports, infographics or other research you'd love to share on Chinwag?

Do let us know and we'll be able to add additional promotion for this content - for example prime position in our newsletters and social media channels. Drop us an email, or mention it clearly in the copy of the blog post.

Language / Tone

  • Please avoid any hint of racism, sexist or religious bias, or any suggestion of nasty, snide, or condescending tone.
  • Colloquialisms and slang are generally accepted, obscenity and vulgarity are not.

Formatting: Headlines, Titles and Sub-headers

  • Titles should be around 10 words if possible. The more interesting the better and puns are welcome.
  • Use H2 for Headings and H3 for Sub-headings
  • Short paragraphs and bullet points help the reader

Picture Formats

Picture Frame

  • We welcome the use of images, however all images must be properly attributed AND have been credited.
  • Don't be afraid of including graphs, infographics or embedding videos where relevant. 
  • Please make sure any images, videos or other content is properly credited with links to the source. 
  • We would recommend using flickr.com (advanced search example) or Creative Commons Search, where you can search specifically for images with Creative Commons licenses.
  • It's best to have one large image (width 460px) at the top of the post and smaller ones (width 240px each) elsewhere.

Comments / Once it’s live...

  • Participation will raise your profile and broaden your contacts
  • Respond to comments if possible. Engagement shows an open-minded attitude
  • Don't forget to promote the post through your social networks: Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, etc. We'll automatically send it out through ours.

Signature and Credit

  • Please make sure you have filled in the “Blog Profile” part of your Chinwag Profile (this can be found under the ‘profile’ tab).  Your Blog Profile will show alongside all your blog posts - we highly recommend including links in this section.

Other

  • All blogs are moderated before being published.  Please don’t be offended if we make alterations, or email you to suggest changes.
  • Please note: excessively promotional posts will not be published.

Most important, and above all the guidelines above, the editor's decision is final. 

What do I do next?

  • Register with Chinwag and set up a profile.
  • Email helpatchinwag [dot] com with a link to that profile so we can enable Guest Blogging permissions.
  • We recommend you complete your profile as much as possible. As a Guest Blogger, you'll be able to complete a "Blog Bio" section, which will appear at the bottom of any blogs you post.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with helpatchinwag [dot] com.

Happy Blogging!

Photos (cc) ~C4Chaos and Indi Samarajiva

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